Nicholas Graveshire
Lord Nicholas Graveshire currently serves as the Lord Commander of the Grey Hand. This man is a proud, nationalistic Gilnean. His life is dotted with trials and difficulties, all of which have caused him to be weary and reclusive. He displays a level head in most situations, and takes great caution when approached with new people and new situations. Much of his life has been shaped by his innate curiousity, the pursuit of knowledge and better understanding of the world, as well to benefit himself. Recently, he has been learning the skillset of a sailor to better serve his home and order. Currently, he lives on Greymoon Isle, the home base of the Grey Hand, and seeks to eventually expand his holdings in the south. History Childhood Nicholas Brandt is the second child of Annette and Enoch Graveshire, a humble owner of a bookstore in the middle of the capital. Born approximately ten minutes after his sister Lillian; as well as into a middle-class family, he was unexpected, and came as a surprise to his mother. The midwife exclaimed that she was not quite through with the labor. Enoch put great stresses upon his second child. Early Years Nicholas spent most of his time in school, and if not there, in his father’s store. He read practically anything he could get his hands on. If he did not know a word, he would look it up. If something struck him as interesting, he’d delve back into the text a year later to revisit and relearn. He took a particular interest in medicine, magic, and psychology and developed a habit of picking out books from those schools first. He was practically glued to his twin sister, Lillian. It was evident that she was his only friend, and he had no interest in learning or meeting other people. He would greet people at his father’s store, but made no effort to communicate in greater depth. He would smile, look at them with his icy eyes, and then turn back to the book he was absorbed in. He had one childhood friend: Lukas Ashcroft, which they would both get into trouble in the city streets, near Enoch’s store. They would return to the Graveshire residence before nightfall, and sneak up into Nicholas’ room to avoid being bombarded by Lillian’s circle of friends. He was never one for people, and it is clear that the trait has carried into adulthood. Adulthood Military Career During the Northgate Rebellion Joining the military turned out to not be an easy task, but Nicholas was strong, and he trained hard to become a good soldier. He saw a great amount of action on the battlefield, and earned a name for himself in the heat of battle, and the name ‘Graveshire’ resonated throughout barracks and camps of both loyalists and rebels. He was known to be brutal in battle, and would often walk on the field afterwards, find any rebel soldiers that remained, and he would finish them off, sometimes slowly, sometimes quick with mercy. He made sure that there were not many wounded left on the field; only dead. His weak appearance caused by wearing his half-moon spectacles (he needed for reading) would mislead friend and foe alike. They came to fear the icy blaze in his eyes behind the glasses. For his work, he was quietly elevated to Sergeant. He debated becoming a Royal Guard to the King, as he was certainly eligible to. During the war, he communicated with his beloved Lydia and family through letter, and sometimes in person when he was on leave. He never took a break longer than three days, however. He did not want to miss anything while he was gone. After the Rebellion Now in his mid 20s, Nicholas found it odd to be done with fighting. He spent his time and energy with the reconstruction of Gilneas, mostly of what was damaged in the capital. He returned to his family and Lydia often, and after ten years of being together, he proposed to Lydia, against the wishes of her controlling father. The Worgen Incursion and the Forsaken Invasion The couple would never be wed. Nicholas heard of the ‘worgen’ in the Blackwald, but he never saw one until they attacked Gilneas City. He was returning home from his father’s store when they attack. They jumped down from clamouring on the roofs of the city, and pinned him. There is a difference between bites meant to change, and bites meant to kill, and he was mauled viciously by a pack of worgen. They bit and tore at his flesh and muscles, and when they were finished tossing him around like a rag doll, they left him there in a pool of his blood. He, against all odds, lived. His body is marred and indented by gnarled bites and claw marks from this incident. He blacked out, and was only awakened by the painful transformation into a worgen. He looked down at his hands and feet and body and realized that he had become one of the terrible beasts. Much of the city was evacuated when he woke up. He searched everywhere for his fiance, sister, and parents. He did not find them, however. He ran out of the city, and was drawn towards the Blackwald, to Tal’doren, where he met the kaldorei. And they performed the ancient ritual on him. Once he got used to his new body, which he learned to hate, he took up arms and joined with a group of refugees to fight back against the Forsaken, and under the banner of Prince Liam. He had never seen the Forsaken. He had heard of the Scourge, but he learned to hate the name ‘Sylvanas, the Banshee Queen’. When he was asked to evacuate GIlneas, he was reluctant. But he boarded the ships and sailed to Darnassus. Career In Ashenvale Harboring a deep appreciation for the kaldorei after they performed the ritual on him to retain his humanity, Nicholas went straight to Ashenvale to fight with the sentinels to push back the orcs from the forest. It was during this time he became assimilated in the kaldorei culture, and learned to speak fluent Darnassian. Nicholas became fond of the kaldorei lands, but it would wane compared to his love for his homeland. After a few years of serving in Kalimdor, he sailed for Stormwind. The Wolves of the Gray Rose During Nicholas’ stay in Stormwind, he met a Gilnean worgen named Huttser Swope. Nicholas, after several encounters with the man, was soon invited to join his order: The Wolves of the Gray Rose. Now, Nicholas had seen the order in action, but had never thought of working with them. He decided to give it a shot, and became an oathsworn. The order was based out of the Stormwind Keep gardens, and Nicholas stayed in Lakeshire, opting to spend little time in the city. The oathsworn worked to prove his loyalty to the order, and was promoted to a Knight-Crusader, one of the few in the order. He swore to protect the Gray Rose and Lord Rhazar with all the strength and skill he had. However, he differed from many of the other worgen, for he prefered his human form, and it was often brought into question, as one of the tenants of the oath was ‘embracing’ the true form. Most of the time it was brought up and then quickly dropped. After several months of serving the Gray Rose, he was deemed to be a worthy leader, and knighted. He became a Knight-Champion, and helped lead the order with Huttser Swope, something he had aspired to do in the beginning. He also became friends with the order’s kaldorei ambassador, Shan’do Galondel Fleetsong. During this time, he also tracked down and found his sister in Surwich, and the two have been inseparable ever since. During the Gray Rose period of his life, Nicholas met, courted, and married Selti Izalith, however, the marriage would come into jeopardy soon after due to turning events no one expected would happen. He, along with Swope, William Sherton, Galondel Fleetsong, and other individuals, left the cause, and went to re-establish a different, neutral order Nicholas, once again, went to Kalimdor to serve as a Captain of the Nordrassil Accord under Shan’do Galondel Fleetsong, and his General, William Sherton. The Accord was a neutral organization focused on restoring Hyjal. Nicholas went along with his brothers, feeling that perhaps it just was not time to take up restoring Gilneas. This came at a price, however. It strained his relationship with his wife, who was a warlock. The marriage shattered, and Nicholas moved to Darnassus, taking up the mantle of bachelor once more. His wife was said to live on her own as a hermit. This had a great affect on the Captain, as it was his first relationship since leaving Gilneas the first time. He began making rash decisions, and it cost an entire unit of the Accord their lives. Captain Graveshire pursued an enemy of the Nordrassil Accord deemed incredibly dangerous. He took a unit to go to Feralas to hunt the warlock, Jaa’rik, down after weeks of tracking him. The task proved to be more difficult than originally thought, for the spring rains swooped in just in time. It was impossible to see, smell, or hear anything over the heavy torrential downpour. The warlock took advantage over this and slayed most of the unit. Nicholas was left on his own for a week with no supplies. He left a trail of things leading to the Ruins of Isildin. Alleged Death Captain Huttser Swope noticed that Nicholas had been gone for longer than planned, and took a second unit to Feralas, which also ended up getting wiped out as they followed Nicholas’ trail of armor. Jaa’rik confronted Swope in the main room of the ruins, nearly killing the worgen, until Nicholas intervened, was mortally wounded. A trail of blood led to a small sanctuary, where Swope found him. The two exchanged final words before the building began to collapse. Huttser managed to escape, but Nicholas was trapped inside, already thought to be dead from blood loss. The Nordrassil Accord mourned the loss of Captain Nicholas Graveshire, and then moved on with their lives, never forgetting his bravery. Yet, all was not lost. A team of bounty hunters came upon his tomb, and prematurely set off their explosives, killing all the members of the team, and dislodging some of the rocks that trapped Nicholas. This awoke the slumbering worgen, and he crawled out, his eyes burning from the light, and many of his muscles aching from atrophy. He developed a deep hatred for warlocks above all else, and went to Silithus to find Jaa’rik. He found that the warlock had already been killed, and Nicholas still contained pent up rage. He slaughtered a high count of 200 warlocks and cultists in the area, and southern Kalimdor. He tracked down and made maps of any cultist and demon holdings, and he created a hit-list; and at the very top was his former wife, Selti. The Cenarion Circle was attentive to the babbling, mad worgen, and they contacted Galondel Fleetsong after Nicholas rambled about an ‘Accord’. Galondel called a council meeting of his Captains, and his new General, Talsalrador (William Sherton was also thought to be dead at the time) to find Nicholas. By the time they reached Silithus, the Circle presented Fleetsong with the hit-list, and it dawned on them that Gilneas was the destination where they would find him. It is unclear whether Nicholas was successful in killing his ex-wife. The only thing clear is that he attempted it, and he was found afterwards in the Northgate Woods, and he was subdued by Galondel. After he was taken back to Darnassus and nursed back to health, he was reinstated as a Captain of the Nordrassil Accord. Rise in Power Once Nicholas returned to the Nordrassil Accord, there was a question left regarding his position: William Sherton, the previous General of the Accord, was pronounced dead with his wife, and Nicholas was in line to become the next General, however Nicholas was also claimed dead at the time. Talsarador was the General when Nicholas returned, which led the General to step down and offer the position to its rightful owner: Nicholas Graveshire. Nicholas remained the leader of the Nordrassil Accord, and for a period of time, the acting leader of the Accord while Galondel Fleetsong went missing. Once he became General of the Nordrassil Accord, he made a trip to Stormwind to recruit, and he met Isabella Heart, who would become his second wife, and bear his first child: Alice Nicole Graveshire. The marriage soon broke off afterwards. The Disbanding of the Accord and Establishing the Grey Hand The build up of the Siege of Orgrimmar left the Nordrassil Accord out in the dust. The organization was neutral, and could not get involved with the war. It was disbanded by the Darnassian Senate. Nicholas Graveshire was granted the title “Nor’serrar”, meaning ‘Blade of the Heavens’ in Darnassian, for his service to the Accord. Nicholas finally turned his attention back to Gilneas and decided that it was finally time to return. The Grey Hand was a branch of the Nordrassil Accord that Nicholas decided to re-invent as re-establish in Gilneas. He was the Commander, and chose h is former wife and partner, Isabella Heart, to be his second-in-command. Many of the worgen in the Accord followed him, along with the kaldorei Delanala Leafwhisper. The order occupied Stormglen and reinforced it into their base. Capture and Torture during the Dance of the Dead, and Assassination Attempt In the month of October, Nicholas led a mission to go ransack and destroy Forsaken laboratories in the ruins of Pyrewood Village. The unit was ambushed, and this led to the capture of Nicholas Graveshire and several allies and members of the Grey Hand. They were dragged to the Undercity, and Nicholas was subject to horrendous torture from a deathstalker, which has changed him to this day, causing him to be paranoid and inwardly self-conscious. He was forced to run for his life in a sick game, and managed to live with the help of an alliance of orders. This event has forever changed him, making him more wary of those around him. He covers his neck to hide the evidence of the evidence that the events transpired. Months afterwards, in the early days of December, the courier Laurana Lightfaith delivered a package addressed to the knight. Nicholas opened it, and it turned out to be a bomb. It detonated, harming both Nicholas and Laurana, and inflicting them with frost fever and blood plague. With the efforts of Bishop Melchiz Tzedeck, and several Clergymen in the area of Stormglen, the pair were healed and left to recover. Enraged by the attack, Nicholas sought out his would-be assassin, and found out who had commissioned and orchestrated the attempt on his life; it was the very same Forsaken deathstalker in charge of his capture. Sir Graveshire dedicated his time and energy to becoming both a deadly enemy and a nuisance to her. Establishing Greymoon Isle and Entering Druidism Stormglen eventually was laid siege to by the Forsaken, and the Grey Hand lost their base. Lucky for the Commander, Huttser Swope and Isabella Heart planned for this, and had been preparing a base on an island to the south of Stormglen. It was named Greymoon Isle, and Nicholas signed the deed, becoming a landed knight. Around this time, Nicholas had taken an interest in druidism. He was trained and taught by his shan’do, Delanala Leafwhisper, the only kaldorei in the Grey Hand. After months of training, Sir Graveshire has become an adept Druid of the Claw, modeling himself after the bear ancients, and a skilled mender. ]] Entering into Nobility Recently, Nicholas has petitioned, and received the promotion to a Baron, and Greymoon has become his barony. The streets of Greymoon rang with cheers and gleeful chants the day the courier arrived: “Long live the Grey Hand! Long live Lord Nicholas Graveshire, patriarch of his House!” Several months after, due to his successful management of Greymoon, a second petition was approved that elevated his status to Viscount based on the two major settlements on the island, and one minor one, as well as the tactical advantage Greymoon offered. The Hollow's Rebellion After Nicholas was elevated to Viscount that Spring, he took to exploring southern Gilneas more intimately, and found an abandoned piece of land, surrounded by mountains that contained dense forests and patches of farmland. While he was satisfied with the island, it was still missing the resources it required to run independently, and trade routes were sparse. He sought out more information about the area, learning its name, the Misty Hollow, dubbed for the mists that rolled down the mountains and stayed for long duration, as well as its ruling family, House Auber. Months of heavy travel and research was done until Nicholas finally found the displaced ruler of the Hollow, Lord Ederic Auber, and insisted that the two strike up a deal. In exchange for Auber's loyalty, Nicholas would help him rebuild his home. House of Graveshire would provide protection over the Hollow, while Auber provided Nicholas with the men he needed at the time. All was well until Auber, tired of being under 'based-born' leadership, orchestrated a clever attack on Fairwind Port while Nicholas' and the Grey Hand's guard was let down. Ships launched mortars, incendiary shots, and cannonfire at the buildings, leveling much of the city, killing civilians, nearly killing many of the Hand. In the attack, Nicholas was buried under a pile of rubble. He was narrowly saved, and in unstable condition for weeks after, swinging between life and death. His son, Allister, was killed in this attack, leaving House of Graveshire without an heir. His pregnant wife, Anwen, was kept safe and hidden in Moonfall. During this time, Nicholas' twin sister, Lillian, took charge of not only helping with the Grey Hand, but helping Anwen run the island, though the two were not fond of each other. It took several months, but Auber was finally captured and brought to Greymoon for trial. Nicholas, having had months of recovery, sentenced Auber to death in the sight of other Gilnean nobles, one being the Duke Berenal Grayblade not only to reveal the treachery that was done, but to show that the seeds of corruption had been stopped. Lord Auber was beheaded, and his body was burned to prevent reanimation. In order to compensate for the loses that Auber had caused, Nicholas took the Misty Hollow under his rule and gave his sister the assignment to help repair it and bring it back to order. Days later, Anwen gave birth to twins, however one died. The surviving one was named Aderyn, Heir of House Graveshire. The Formation of Storm's Crag Lillian spent months in the Misty Hollow to repair the disarray that the rebellion had cost them. Once the major threats, such as bandits, feral worgen, and general unlawfulness were quelled, Lord Graveshire finally absorbed the lands into his. The size of the Hollow is two baronies, which were fused in an earlier rebellion conducted by House Auber several hundred years ago. The amount of land the Graveshires now controlled were enough to justify an Earldom. Nicholas called his entire span of land Storm's Crag, and now carried the title of Earl. Physical Apperance Important features: Scars: The left side of this man’s face in incredibly marred. His most prominant and trademark scar is a jagged, thick semi-circle starting at the ridge of his left eyebrow, crosses over his nose, then back over, and it rests on his left cheekbone, near the corner of his eye. Another scar cuts through that one, running perpendicular. It begins below his left eye, and then runs down to rest beside his chin. This one is a much thinner, subtle indent in his face. Finally, there are two thin, parallel scratches running from the right side of his nose to the corresponding eye on the right side of his face. If an indiviual manages to catch him unclothed, they will find that his body is covered in thick, textured bite, and claw, marks, evidence of being mauled by the pack of worgen that turned him. Other scars are from battles and fights he has gotten into. The man's neck is always covered, but by the rare chance it is not, small scars dot his neck horizontally where a collar was sewn into his neck as a part of his torture. Eyes: HIs eyes are an icy, pale blue. They display much of his emotions, glinting and gleaming and such. His face will only tell so much of what he thinks; anyone close to him knows well to be attentive to his eyes. They become fierce while he becomes irritated or angry, which causes the external harshness to be amplified. Sometimes he will wear glasses, sometimes he will not. Voice: His voice carries upon it an incredibly thick, proud Gilnean accent. However, he has learned to tone it down for this none-Gilnean companions. The man is also fluent in Darnassian from having worked several years around the kaldorei. Human The man carries himself with pride. He is tall and gruff, with a scarred body, pale eyes, and muddy brown hair. He is well built, and muscular, which is evident when he is exposed, however, he also has a certain leaness about him. He is by no means bulky, but he is also not thin. It is obvious he does exercise and train quite a bit. His hair falls down to his shoulders; it is typically kept in a ponytail, or wrapped braids. He has thin lips, and a crooked nose (which has probably been broken a few times). His skin is fair, and he is pale. He has been subject to light tanning, but it is faint. Worgen Much the same about his build applies, however, he boasts dark, muddy brown fur; he sticks out among his darker counterparts for this reason, and it is difficult not to spot him. His head is that like a lion's, with a short-haired, noble face, which grows out into his mane. His scars cause him to look much more fearsome in this form. His mane is great, and displays pride when he holds his head up. He's tall and muscular, however, not hulking in this form. His muscles show telltale signs of use, being chiseled and formed over the years of combat and training Usually, he will wear fine, dark leathers, lined with fur, donning the twin-wolf tabard of his order. A large, heavy cloak billows behind him and is drapped over his shoulders. Personality First and foremost: he is not a verbose man. He is short spoken for the most part, especially when in small groups.This does not allude to an unfriendliness. He is incredibly friendly, and will do his best to make the other person(s) in the conversation are comfortable. He is polite, and can be quite formal. He is nationalistic. He is a bookworm, in the largest sense. When he is alone, his crooked nose is in a book, and his eyes are deeply invested. He is incredibly intelligent, but that may not always be available to the public eye. He is observant, and opinionated only when he feels that he is in the right place to offer such a critique. Sometimes, he seems like a whole new person entirely, carrying himself with a cocky confidence. Other times, he is more conservative and reserved. Most the time, however, he displays his default mannerisms and personality. He carries himself as a leader, and rightly so. When surrounded by his order, he is conscious of his words, actions, and decisions, and will proactively act as a voice of reason, and figurehead of his order. He takes on a more business-oriented perspective when his colleagues are present. In combat, he is confident in his ability as a fighter, and it can get the best of him in the midst of the haze of battle and bloodshed. He will try to be patient and courageous nonetheless. Relationships Lydia Undercroft Nicholas had a long relationship with this woman, beginning from mid teens to mid-20s, lasting twelve years and has come to be his most fulfilling one. It was not without its problems, including a controlling father. The relationship ended when Lydia disappeared once the Forsaken invaded. Mentioning her tends to bring up a sensitive topic for the Lord, and he usually avoids talking about her. They had a son together, Allister. Selti Izalith Selti was Nicholas' first wife. She was ten years younger than Nicholas, and known to be quiet and reserved around others. She is a warlock, which came to cause trouble in their union.. Once Nicholas left to join the Nordrassil A ccord, the marriage began to slide down hill very quickly, and once he disappeared in Feralas, so did she in Gilneas. She has not been spotted since, and it is rumored that she died by Nicholas' hands whilest in a feral rage before Galondel came to save him. It was later found out that she was not dead, and Nicholas, along with the Grey hand went to her aid, saving her from an undead psychopath. Isabella Heart Nicholas second marriage was with this woman. The couple managed to produce a child before the marriage was put endanger by Nicholas' disloyalty. Bella also served as the second-in-command in the Grey Hand until she resigned and left the order. She and Nicholas remained close until her death. Anwen Vaught A noble woman from the Great Mountain region of Gilneas that he married to secure an alliance between the Houses Graveshire and Vaught. They have one son, Aderyn, and his twin Anrek died shortly after childbirth. Weapons Dire Bite "Dire Bite" is Lord Graveshire's staff. It was forged from the black wood of the trees of the Blackwald. It was gnarled and twisted, except for the grip where his hands were to rest. A Gilnean raven's feathers, fangs of the wolves of Silverpine, and claws of the bears of Hyjal hung from in by twine. The top of the staff formed into the head of a wolf, with glowing orange eyes: a sign that Nicholas and the staff were eternally linked together. At the wolf's throat, a small carving of a pair of antlers could be noticed. Silvertooth Silvertooth is a sword he will sometimes carry at his side. He has carried this weapon since he entered into the military. It is made of fine steel that gleams in the moonlight. He has recently modified it so the butt of the sword boasts two stag's antlers. Nicholas Graveshire - Belcarthe.png|Nicholas Graveshire drawn by Belcarthe nicholasgraveshire.jpg|Nicholas drawn by Bramblestar YusyUlD.png|House Graveshire's crest. Greymoon.jpg|Greymoon Isle Category:Characters Category:Worgen Category:Kingdom of Gilneas Category:The Grey Hand Category:Gilnean Category:Druids Category:House of Graveshire